Thursday was an emotional day for future Hall of Famer Jeremey Roenick, who officially announced his retirement from the NHL. But what was most important to him, was being able to leave the game he loves on his own.

Roenick, one of just 24 players to score 500 goals and 700 assists in his 20-year career, was an ambassador of the game, on and off the ice. Still a fan favorite around the league, and especially in Philadelphia, Roenick is respected and heralded everywhere he goes and will be missed dearly by the sport.

“I had a great bond with Philly fans, they are blue collar people and I liked to play hard,” Roenick said about his three seasons in Philadelphia. “These were fans I associated myself with and I was so proud to put on a Flyers uniform. Mark Recchi, Keith Primeau, Simon Gagne, are still today, some of my greatest friends.

“It has been the greatest career I could ever possibly have imagined.”

About

Ryan Bright (Philabright@gmail.com) is a sports writer, born and raised in the Philadelphia area. A graduate of West Chester University, he has been with the Daily Local News in Chester County since early 2007, working as the paper's college and high school ice hockey beat writer. In 2010, began as a contributer for CSNPhilly.com, covering the Flyers and the Philadelphia Union.

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